Inflatable seals are frequently used for the sealing of doors, hatches and the like against the passage of liquids or gases. In a typical installation, a hollow, inflatable elastomeric sealing element is mounted within a channel or other recess structure. A closure element, such as a door, hatch cover or the like can be moved into a nominally closed position, with surfaces thereof facing the inflatable sealing element. After positioning of the door or like in its nominally closed position, the sealing member is internally inflated and expanded to press tightly against the adjacent surface of the closure panel, to effect a tight, liquid and/or gas-proof seal.
Although the general technology of inflatable sealing elements is well known, the structures incorporating such sealing arrangements tend to be somewhat costly, and there has remained a need for less costly arrangements for incorporating inflatable seals for general purpose applications.
One heretofore known arrangement for installing inflatable seals in a door closure system is represented by the Carlson U.S. Pat. No. 3,397,490. In the Carlson patent, an inflatable sealing element is provided with a mounting flange at one side thereof which is engageable with retaining clips positioned in an alternating fashion along the path of the seal, with alternate clips being spaced apart longitudinally a distance of several inches. Installation of the seal is accomplished by displacing the seal first to one side and then the other as the mounting flange thereof is inserted progressively under individual mounting clips. A somewhat similar arrangement is shown in the Schroth U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,942. These systems, while very useful, require the mounting of the individual clips, which are welded or bolted in place.